Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Single Guy has been too sick to plan, but that doesn’t mean the world doesn’t keep spinning and food events don’t stop coming up, especially at the start of this fine 2011. If your resolution is to get out and do more, start with one of these:

Jan. 15 (Saturday) – SF Underground Market. The first market of the year returns with the promise of more food vendors at the Public Works performance arts space in the Mission. The market does the typical split with daytime home-made takeaways for sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and then the nighttime noshing and music festival from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. If you don’t know by now, you have to register ahead of time to enter the market. Because of the popularity and growth, the market now charges admission of $5 for the daytime market and $10 at night. Public Works, 161 Erie St., San Francisco.

Jan. 15 (Saturday) – New Taste Marketplace. The underground market gets some friendly competition with the New Taste Marketplace, which started out as a fund-raiser bake sale and is now trying to hit the big leagues with this Saturday’s marketplace at the St. Gregory’s Church, 500 De Haro in Potrero Hill. Vendors will be selling things from chocolate to cookies to sausages, from noon to 5 p.m. There’s a sliding scale $10 admission, with funds going to St. Gregory’s Church and the Food Pantry. See the full list of vendors on its website.

Jan. 15 (Saturday) – Williams-Sonoma Artisan’s Market. Yet another market this Saturday, with more of a corporate flair as local artisan vendors set up demo stands around the Williams-Sonoma flagship store at Union Square from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Event is free, but I’m pretty sure you’ll be tempted to buy something. 340 Post St., San Francisco.

Jan. 15-–31 – Dine About Town San Francisco. The bi-annual spotlight on the city’s restaurant s and their special deals kick off the year with $17.95 two-course lunches and $34.95 three-course dinners. Check out the list of participating restaurants at OpenTable.

Jan. 22 (Saturday) – Hapa SF Pop-Up Dinners. Chef/Owner William Pilz (formerly of Citizen Cake) has been on the road the last year with his Hapa SF food truck, bringing his Filipino-inspired food to San Francisco foodies. Now he stops over at La Victoria in the Mission for a pulutan pop-up dinner (pulutan is Filipino small plates). There are three seatings at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. To reserve a spot, e-mail your party size and seating preference (and a second choice) to info@lavictoriabakery.com. La Victoria, 2937 24th St. (at Florida). (Note: Hapa SF also does a street-food pop-up on Jan. 25, Tuesday, at Bar Basic in SOMA.)

Jan. 23 (Sunday) – The Wild Kitchen from ForageSF. These underground dinners featuring ingredients foraged from nearby gardens and hillsides take place somewhere in the Haight (exact location emailed to you the day of the dinner). The Saturday dinner is already sold out, but if you want to drop $100 and you’re free on Sunday, you can purchase a ticket for that night’s eight-course dinner here.

Jan. 23–29 (Sunday–Saturday) – Oakland Restaurant Week. With the emerging restaurant scene in Oakland, it only makes sense that Oaktown has its own version of Dine About Town. But instead of prix-fixe lunches and dinner, the participating Oakland restaurants have their own special deals to offer, most being lunch and dinners at $20, $30, or $40. Check out the list of participating restaurants here.

Jan. 27–30 (Thursday–Saturday) – ZAP 2011. The annual wine festival put on by the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers features a tasting and food pairing event, a dinner with the winemakers and topped off by the Grand Zinfandel Tasting. Tickets for non-members range from $70 to $140. Find out more information at www.zinfandel.org.